Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1887-04-25

tors in presuming to differ from the COM
mittee seems to have wounded Mr.. Sprigg's
vanity sorely. His pride Of opinion is
hurt and his efforts to sustain himselfonly
serve to show his unfairness to me. In his
rage he assaults the Gouernor Of the State
and charges that he has allied himself
with me and appointed board for the ex-
press purpose of retaining me, and in def
ance Of the will of the Legislature, and
that in framing his proclamation for the
extra session he has carefully excluded
from it any mention Of the matters in
volved in the late investigation at the
Hospital deny that there has ever been
any legislative expression upon this sub
ject or that the Governor was ever in
structed to appoint n new Board Of Direc-
tors in thesense that other gentlemen were
to be substituted for all those in the then
board The bill, which required the Gov
ernor to appoint q new board, was
n Senate bill passed, not TO turn out Of
Office any of them, but for the purpose Of
giving the minority n representation on
the board. Ii was passed without any
reference to my case and went to the House
where, it is true, it was passed by that
body after the report Of the investigating
committee had been read TO the Legisla-
ture, and the most that can be said, in
support of Mr.. Sprigg's view, Is that it
was passed by the latter body TO enable
the Governor, if he saw fit to do so, TO
appoint new members on the board, but
did not expressly or implicitly require it
The Judiciary committee reported that it
had no jurisdiction over the officers Of the
Hospital, and by this report and the de-
clination of the Legislature to act upon
the report of the committee Of inyestiga-
ton, the whole matter having been re-
ferred to the Governor, is q complete
answer to the criticism Of Mr.. Sprigg
on the Governors failure to make this
one Of the subjects of the call for an extra
session.
That Governor Wilson has allied him
self to me il false; that he deems the re-
port of the Investigating Committee to be
unfounded and unjust is probably true. i
cannot see how he could arrive at any 9TH
er conclusion. That he declined TO turn
out of Office upon the frivolous report Of
this Committee, prominent gentlemen Of
State reputation, of high character, intelli-
gence and integrity, shows that he is not
to be stampeded Ly false clamor; that he
is endowed with the genius of common
sense, and would not condemn the Di-
rectors or approve the Investigating Com
mittee hastily. If he had not the evidence
before him, there was so much the more
reason for his not accepting the conclusions
of i've gentlemen in opposition to the con-
clusions of nine; for not condemning the
nine without evidence.
never spoke, wrote, or communicated
to Gov. Wilson upon the question Of the
Of these directors. j did not
know whom he would appoint. had no sug-
gestions to make upon the subject lam en-
tirely ignorant how any Of them will vote
upon the appointment Of q superintendent
Of the Hospital. Itdoes not follow because
they cannot reach the same conclusion as
the committee that they deem me the
most suitable person for that position. |
do not consider, nor do l suppose, that any
of the members Of the old board are of
opinion that there are not Others equally
as well, yea perhaps better, qualified for it
than l.
As to partisanship at the Hospital, ] will
say that number Of employees here are
agree with Mr.. Sprigg that
the government of this institution should
be free from political or partisan consider
ations, and il shall he so whilst ] am at
the head of it. Any political action on
the part of any Of the employees OF the
Hospital has been the expression Of indi-
vidual opinion over which | have never
had nor desire 10 have any control. re-
gret that he should find it necessary in his
unjust and unfair efforts TO injure me
to lug politics into the question; that he
should endeayor to frighten my Democratic
friends from my support by clustering
about holding the Democratic party re-
lponsible for my supposed misdeeds, and
especially y must characterize his efforts TO
array Mr.. Camden aud his friends against
me as unworthy Of gentleman protesting
10 act from conscientious motives and
bristling with all the traits of dema-
gogue.
| do not desire!to take up your space To
discuss or answer all the little,
trivial matters lugged into the
report of the committee and Mr..
Sprigg's letter, but will say in reply TO
his lengthy statement ~ 10 the time Of
notice received of the charges against me
that never saw them until about eight
o'clock iu the evening, not over a half
hour before the committee commenced 10
take the testimony of DIR. Manown, and
that they were then unsigned and the next
lay completed by the signature Of NJ. s.
Holt, editor of the Weston Republican.
In conclusion will say that challenge
the strictest scrutiny into my official con-
duct No fair-minded man can come 10
the Hospital on any day in tho year, ex-
anime its working in all its departments
aud go away unfavorably Impressed.
w. J. BLAND.